The Life of Benji: Benji
by queeniethelegilimens
Summary: Oneshot. It is 1933. It has been about five years since Queenie made the decision to join Grindelwald. She now has a son named Benjamin, Benji for short, who is nearly five. She struggles to deal with the clingy child and complete her missions at the same time. Benji hates when she leaves him and does everything in his power to stop her.


_Nurmengard Castle, Austria—1933_

"Mama, Mama!" A little boy, about age four, came running toward his mother with open arms. He embraced her leg and nestled against it. "I missed you, Mama!" The boy beamed up at her for a moment before he resumed his previous position.

"I missed you, too, Benji." His mother's voice was breathless.

"Now, now, your mother still has work to do." A familiar, male voice got the boy's attention. "Don't you, Queenie?"

Benji looked up at the familiar, yet strange, man as he felt his mother pull away from his grasp. His eyes immediately filled with tears, while his bottom lip began to tremble. "No," he pleaded and tried to take hold of her leg again. "Don't leave me, Mama!"

"I _have_ to go." Queenie reached down and stroked her son's hair. "But, I _promise_ , I will be back in time to tell you a bedtime story. I love you, sweetheart."

"No," he repeated, "don't leave me."

She knelt down to the child's level, taking his hands into hers. "I have to," she reiterated rather softly. "Come here." She slipped her hands from his and, instead, pulled him into a loving embrace. "I am doing this for _you_."

He opened his mouth to reply, but, before he could speak, the strange man took hold of his mother's arm and pulled her to her feet, and away from him.

"Queenie," the strange man began, "Madam Rosier and the others are waiting for us. We must be on our way."

"Yes, sir," she agreed.

"Take Benjamin to Aurelius' study," the strange man uttered, "then meet me in mine."

"I will, sir."

Benji and his mother watched the strange man walk along the hall, away from them. He then allowed his mother to take hold of his hand, but he refused to move from the spot he stood. Perhaps that would make her stay.

"Come on, Benji!"

His second attempt at making her stay proved to be futile. He ended up getting dragged all the way to Aurelius' study. Luckily, his study was on the floor they were already on. It wouldn't have been fun to be pulled down several flights of stairs.

"I need you to watch my son," his mother explained once they reached the study. "Mister Grindelwald has a new task for me, and I can't take Benjamin with me."

Aurelius looked down at the boy, then brought his gaze to Queenie. "Of course, Miss Goldstein." He took the boy's hand and brought him to his side. "How long will you be out, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Possibly the rest of the day," she sighed. "I am hoping to be back in time to put Benji to bed. If not, you know his routine."

Benji looked up at his mother, slouched, and released a deep sigh. "You promised," he reminded her.

"I know I did, honey," she remembered. "I will try my hardest to fulfill that promise. But, for now, I've got to go." Without another word, his mother turned around and hurried away from them, not looking back, even when Benji began to cry loudly. It was one of the few times she didn't answer to his crying.

"Mama, come back!" He managed to free his hand from Aurelius', and bolted after her. "Mama!" She still didn't stop walking, nor did she turn her head to look back. He had continued to run when he lost his footing and fell to the ground. His cries took on a more pained tone, which his mother just couldn't ignore.

She stopped abruptly.

"Benji…" Her voice cracked as her head turned.

"Mama, please," he begged from the ground where he lay.

His mother's body turned, and crept over to him, not able to ignore his plea. "Oh, baby." A sob shook her body. She watched Aurelius lift the boy off the ground. "Make sure he hasn't hurt himself too badly."

"I will, Miss Goldstein."

Benji looked at his mother through the tears that had gathered in his eyes. "Mama," he sobbed. He could do nothing to stop Aurelius from carrying him away from his mother. He watched as she turned again—this time away from him. He was powerless to stop her.

Aurelius plopped the boy down on the couch within his study once they reached it.

"Does anything hurt?"

Benji nodded, continuing to whimper. He showed Aurelius his hands. They were red with pain from breaking his fall. "My hands."

"I see." Aurelius was careful as he took hold of the child's right hand. He felt his hand for any fractures before feeling his wrist. "I don't _feel_ anything out of the ordinary on your right, but let me check the left." He did the same with the left, but the results were the same. "Well, you seem all right, but I will keep an eye on you until your mother returns."

"Thank you, Aur—" Benji struggled to pronounce the name of his only friend in Nurmengard Castle, besides his mother and Madam Rosier.

Aurelius chuckled, "Remember, call me Credence. That is easier to pronounce, and it is the name I am most familiar with."

"Thank you, Credence," Benji giggled. He looked around the study, at the many bookshelves, when he spied one of his favorite books— _The Tale of Benjamin Bunny_. He pointed at the book, which lay on the top shelf. "Can you read to me, Credence?"

"Yes," Aurelius—who wanted to be called Credence—confirmed. "Have any book in mind?"

" _Benjamin Bunny_!"

Credence stepped over to the shelf, took the book off the shelf, turned to face Benji, and motioned for him to make room for him on the couch. Benji complied, and patted the spot next to him. "There you go," he said.

"Thank you, Benjamin." Credence sat beside the book. He opened the book to where the story began. "One morning a little rabbit on a bank," he began to read aloud.

Benji listened, while taking in the wonderful pictures of his favorite animals—bunnies. Or so he tried. It was past time for his nap. He usually took a nap a few hours earlier, but he had fought with Abernathy for well-over an hour before he was permitted to skip it. This didn't mean he wasn't tired—he just didn't want to sleep at that moment. Now, he could no longer fight sleep.

* * *

Benji awoke hours later, in his bedroom, to people talking just outside the door. Usually, he wouldn't bother to figure out who it was, but, perhaps, it was his mother. If it was his mother, he would open that door and pull her into the tightest hug he could manage. If it wasn't, all he could do was wait for her to return. If she returned at all.

He maneuvered himself from under the quilt quite easily, but encountered an obstacle when he tried to get off the bed. The bed was off the ground by quite a bit, and he was scared of hurting himself. He thought about how he could position himself to get off the bed. He couldn't just step off (too high), nor could he just jump off (again, too high). There was only one more option that he could think of: getting on his back and scooting off the bed that way.

In preparation, he moved his body in a way that placed his feet by the side of the bed, with his back against the bedsheets. He took a deep breath. The bedsheets were crumpled tightly within his fists. Taking one more deep breath, he all but flinged himself off the bed.

He crashed to the floor, feeling the urge to cry build within him, but he inhaled through his nose, out his mouth, and pushed himself to his feet.

Now he just needed to find out who was talking in the hallway.

Lowering down to his hands and knees, Benji, once again, took a deep breath. This was a dangerous mission, but it was necessary. His mother could be out there!

Just when he was about to make his first move, he heard the door creak up.

The familiar, strange man—whose name Benji couldn't remember—Credence, and Madam Rosier were standing close to the hallway wall. Benji felt his heart drop to his stomach. It wasn't his mother after all. But who had opened the door?

He brought his gaze slightly to the right.

There his mother stood.

"Now, now," the strange man chuckled, "the child is awake. Queenie, you may stay with him _for now_ , but, remember, we've still got a lot of work ahead of us; for the Greater Good."

"Monsieur," Madam Rosier broke in, "that boy is a distraction for Madam Goldstein. It would not be wise to—" She seemed to get distracted when Benji looked in her direction.

"To what? Let a _mother_ have the chance to spend time with _her_ child?" The strange man visibly flinched upon hearing Credence speak about such matters. "Keeping them separated would cause more harm than good."

"I am just saying it would be unwise," Madam Rosier mentioned.

"My son is hardly a distraction," his mother snapped at both the strange man and Madam Rosier. "In fact, he gives me a reason to fight! Don't _ever_ call him a distraction."

"You, Miss Goldstein, are one of my greatest assets," the strange man admitted. "With Benjamin's chances of being a non-wizard, considering who his father is, he is pretty useless to me."

Benji watched his mother's fists clench.

"I suppose Madam Rosier, Aurelius, and I will carry on without you while you care for that non-wizard child of yours." He motioned for the two accompanying him to lead the way down the hall. "Just remember—"

Benji stood at his mother's gesture.

"We still have a lot of work to do," she completed the strange man's sentence. "Yes, I know, Mister Grindelwald."

"Wonderful," Grindelwald replied. "I expect I will see you two at dinner tonight?"

"Of course, sir."

Grindelwald's eyes narrowed at her.

Benji made his way over to his mother, taking a little bit of the dark fabric that made up her dress into his hands. He hid his face against her. Grindelwald—as the strange man was called— scared him and gave him horrible nightmares. He listened for any sign that he was leaving, and became aware of footsteps getting farther away. He couldn't help but release a relieved sigh.

He heard his mother say, "You can stop hiding now, honey."

Benji stopped hiding his face and beamed up at his mother.

"You know I hate leaving you, right?" She knelt down to his level.

"Of course, Mama," he said. "I know it makes you sad."

"Very sad," she confirmed.

Benji pulled her into a hug. "Don't be sad, Mama. You can read me my bedtime story like you promised."

His mother breathed a laugh. "Oh, baby, I will read you your story after we have finished dinner and you've had your bath. Although, I may let you skip the bath for tonight, but only if you behave and eat whatever if placed in front of you at dinner."

He pulled away, crossed his arms, and pouted at this.

"Now, Benji," she warned, "don't start acting up now, or you aren't getting a story."

The boy stopped pouting, but kept his arms crossed.

"Benjamin Kowalski," she chided, "uncross your arms."

"Okay," he sighed, uncrossing his arms. He hated when she called him by his first and last name, as that meant she was upset with him.

"Good boy," she said, proudly. "Now, why don't we spend some time together? We could...go down to the greenhouse, or—"

"The greenhouse!"

It was already decided. He loved the greenhouse, and his mother was aware of that.

Taking hold of her hand, he began to guide her out of the bedroom.

* * *

Benji was unimpressed by the dinner that was served to him at sundown. Anything green or orange made him feel sick, even when his mother prepared it. All he wanted to do was move the disgusting food around with his fork, but his mother gave him a look and mouthed at him to eat.

He groaned, complying with her not-so-subtle request.

The carrots made him gag, but, he knew, he could skip his bath if he ate whatever he was offered. He forced the carrots down, along with a few other things he couldn't name. The water he was offered proved to be useful in eliminating the taste of anything he despised. And, before he knew it, he had cleared his plate.

"May I be excused?"

His mother smile with a nod, glancing toward Grindelwald. "You head up to your bedroom. I will meet you in there and read you your bedtime story."

The boy bolted from his chair. He was glad to be free of the awkward silence and not-so-polite conversation that had filled the room. He could finally look forward to the one thing he'd wanted all day: his mother reading him a bedtime story like she always did.

He went so far as to already be in his pajamas when she met him in the bedroom.

"I brought your favorite book." She showed it to him. "I know Aurelius...I mean Credence, already read it to you, but I doubt you will mind to hear it again."

Benji squealed, patting the space next to him.

He cuddled up to his mother and grabbed a piece of her golden locks when she laid down beside him. He loved playing with her hair as she read to him. It helped him fall asleep.

This time, however, the story didn't put him to sleep, nor did the cuddling and the twirling of her hair. Many questions had entered his mind after he heard what Grindelwald said hours earlier. Who was his father? Why was his last name different than his mother's?

"Mama?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Who's my real papa?"

His mother tensed for a second, but relaxed almost immediately. "Your real papa is someone I met a few years before you were born. His name is Jacob Kowalski. We were separated during one of Grindelwald's rallies, and I may never get the chance to see him again. You have his last name because I felt it was right to give it to you."

"Oh," he said.

"Does that answer your question?"

The boy nodded.

"Do you think you can sleep now? I can tell you more about him later."

"Of course, Mama!"

His mother gave him his goodnight kiss, tucked him in, and turned off the lamp beside his bed. "Goodnight, honey. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Mama." Benji closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

He still wondered about his father, but his other questions could wait to be answered. For now, he had his mother and best friend, Credence. Perhaps, he would get the chance to meet his father, but only time would tell.

* * *

 **Author's note:** _This is my first fanfiction for the Fantastic Beasts franchise, so I apologize if any of the characters are OOC. I especailly struggled with Queenie, but I hope everything turned out alright. Thank you for reading, and I hope you will leave a review to let me know what you think!_


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